Defeat to Manchester City shouldn’t dent Barcelona’s chances of Champions League progression but the manner in which the English side stormed to victory exposed the brittleness of a Barca side badly missing the injured Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta.
Barca had won all five previous meetings between the sides over the past two years and a landmark European victory looked set to be beyond City once more when Lionel Messi finished off a lethal counterattack for his 15h goal in his last 13 games against English opposition.
“They were a scandalously good (first) 40 minutes,” said a far-from-downbeat Barca boss Luis Enrique.
“I think it was one of the best first-half performances from my team (this season), which, in a scenario like this and against such a difficult team, has a lot of merit.”
Messi’s 21st minute opener was followed by a 15-minute spell of complete Barca domination, but Sergi Roberto’s error in gifting the ball away on the edge of his own box turned the game as Ilkay Gundogan levelled before the break for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Kevin De Bruyne’s stunning free-kick and another from Gundogan sealed a 3-1 win after half-time and a famous win for Guardiola against the club he won 30 trophies with as player and coach.
Even Guardiola was effusive in his praise for Barca’s start.
“The (first) 38 minutes (shows) we cannot compete with the best teams in the world,” he said.
Yet, in seeing their good work of the first 45 minutes so ruthlessly undone by City’s power, pace and precision, Barca’s dependence on two pillars of the side — often overlooked due to the presence of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar — was exposed.
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